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Social Classes
Social Station of Silverthorne The Kingdom's society is split into 5 major classes, with several subcategories within them. These classes are rigidly enforced with both legal and social constructs, but the rare instance of upward mobility is certainly possible and even celebrated. Nobles The Nobility are the leaders, economic titans, and land owners of Silverthorne. They hold inherited land from hundreds of years of almost unbroken chains of ancestors. Most Nobles can trace their land back to what was seized from Old Mage dictators 300 years ago by the original revolution which ended the reign of the Mageocracy. Many Nobles have slowly parceled out their land to subjects beneath them in return for oaths of fealty, favors, or sometimes for money. Each Noble is considered a Vassal, oath-bound to their superior. The exact details of these oaths will vary, but a Noble is typically sworn to administer their land, defend its people, and serve at the command of their superiors. In exchange for this responsibility, Nobles are granted a great deal of privileges that allow them to keep their land running smoothly. Royal Family The highest ranking individuals are the Royal Family. The ruler, Queen Jahanna Silverthorne I, is the absolute monarch of the nation. Her word is monolithic, and only she can overturn her own command. Besides Her Majesty herself, the Royal Family are without peers as they directly rule the Duchy of Silverthorne. Though Prince Grayston, the Queen's uncle, is the Commander In Chief of the Grand Northern Army of Silverthorne, and arguably the second most powerful person in the Kingdom. Duke and Duchess Sworn directly to the Royal Family, Dukes and Duchesses command the largest segments of the Kingdom. In command of thousands of square miles, each Duke wields immeasurable power and prestige. Duchy borders often seem arbitrary, but are very historic. Duchies are added to the Kingdom only through annexation or conquest, so boundaries often hold the significance of old battles or fragments of the previous Mageocracy's geopolitical boundaries. The current Dukes include: * Duke Campbell of Caledonia * Duke Harrison of Gilbain * Duke Ironheart of Susspin * Duke Kendall of Dorchak (the former, in rebellion) In times of war, Dukes are expected to act as theater commanders, giving broad orders and grand strategy to army groups, instead of dealing with the brass tacks of military command. Any children or relation of a Duke or Duchess inherit the title of Count or Countess. It is hereditary, but does not carry the same authority as the head of their "family". Baron and Baroness Vassals of the Dukes, these Barons and Baronesses manage slightly more detailed affairs of their single state within a Duchy. These Baronies are often a single large city and as many satellite towns as a single Baron could reasonably administer by themselves, dealing with the local leadership. Baronial borders often follow natural boundaries, such as rivers or forests, and were established by design to make management easier for the Baron or Baroness. Baronies tend to have specialized interests and economies, heavily trading with each other according to their masters' mercantilism doctrine. Dozens of Barons and Baronesses rule just as many Baronies. Some well-known Barons to Midway include: * Baron Galen Campbell of the Southern Tribesfolk * Baron Vincent VonDroven of Tarragon Keep * Baron Dreadnought of Port's End * Baron Feznik of Meterwyn * Baron Ulden of Kodiak In times of war, Barons are expected to lead individual armies, oversee the defense of fortifications, and manage supply lines for their own specific troops. The children or relations of Barons or Baronesses inherit the title of Lord or Lady, though they do not carry as much authority as the head of their "family". Thane A Thane, sworn to their Baron, rule smaller county-like divisions of Baronies called Thanedoms. Thanes assist the Baron by managing the daily matters of these counties and towns, usually by getting very nitty-gritty compared to the larger-scale leadership of the higher Nobility. Thanes in charge of land offer immediate administration and defense for more local farms, towns, and villages. It is possible for a Thane to be un-landed, in which case they assist their Baron or Baroness by directly administering beneath them. Thanes are very numerous, often several Thanes will all serve a single Baron or Baroness, particularly in the more densely-populated Baronies. Some well-known Thanes to Midway include: * Thane Wesley Volk of Midway * Thane Shaddon of Shaddenfel In times of war, Thanes are expected to raise troops, generate supplies, lead individual regiments into combat, or manage the affairs of the land while their superiors are off on campaign. The relations of Thanes are Gentlefolk, and do not carry as much authority as the head of their "family". Gentlefolk Gentlefolk are highly honored individuals whose station falls in the lower echelons of Nobility. Gentlefolk live and work within the Royal Alliances, but are not necessarily landed. They represent a huge variety of different peoples, including military leaders, entrepreneurs, family members of Nobles, community leaders, and more. The station of Gentlefolk also has social tiers. Although not always codified into law, it is ignorant to assume that all are equal, and may upset the local balance of power or displease their superior Nobles. True Gentlefolk, born of or specifically elevated to their station, are the lowest-ranking Nobles. People holding positions of power which "Grant the Protections of Gentlefolk" are even lower, and are not Nobles in any way. It means they may not be targeted by anything that couldn't normally target a Gentlefolk; they are "protected". These individuals may not act "offensively" with their powers, for example by dispensing of those beneath their station. This design is to ensure these leaders act with responsibility and assist or check Freemen who need it. High-ranking positions within institutions and communities are often elevated to the station of Gentlefolk. This facilitates faster decision-making on the ground. In a land where long-distance communication is difficult and unreliable, the position of Gentleman or Gentlewoman ensures the leaders are confident in their commands and can quickly do the right thing for their jurisdiction. Constable Serving beneath a Thane, a Constable's position has the Protections of Gentlefolk, even if the individual normally does not. This person is the chief enforcer of the King's Law, as well as any other laws in effect for their region. They are responsible for protecting the residents of an area and making arrests. They also administer buildings, roads, the Town Guard, and draft townsfolk in emergencies. House Head Leadership of the four Houses within the Kingdom, the major bodies of government. Every populated enough location maintains offices for each House, and the leader of that location is known as the House Head. These individuals work together to manage towns and villages as a Town Council. To assist in their duties, House Heads are granted Potections of Gentlefolk as well. These duties vary from House to House, but to generalize: * House DeVris are the judges of the King's Law and others for the Kingdom * House Toevass are the record-keepers and curators of official information * House Jakoric are the investigators and balance the authority of the judges * House Mandalor are the tax-collectors and bureaucrats over the merchants House Heads administer those beneath their command as they see fit, with guidance from House Heads above them in a chain of command that goes all the way up to Kingdom-level. This chain of command typically follows the Nobility, as every level of Noble will have Houses that assist their duties. The Town Councils are responsible for levying taxes, building, zoning, roads, and other day-to-day management duties their town requires. Different towns have different needs, so Town Councils are encouraged to act on their own to fulfill those needs as they see fit. Guild Representative Elected by a vote from all the local Guild Heads in a town, this individual sits on the Town Council alongside the House Heads and represents the interests of the Guilds in official government business. To help them perform their duties with authority and to cement their position of command over regular Guild members, Guild Reps are granted the Protections of Gentlefolk during their term on the Council. Mayor Town Councils work together to appoint a Mayor who serves alongside them. The Mayor is typically the "face" of the Council, and so they function best when they're a popular and respected member of the community. To assist with their duties, the position is granted the Protections of Gentlefolk. Mayors help run the town's most detailed tasks and are often responsible for buildings, zoning, roads, and act as an impromptu Captain of the Guard during emergencies (if the Constable and Captain of the Guard are not available). Freemen Freemen are individuals who do not live under an indenture with a Noble for land, and therefore freely travel and work for their own wealth. Freemen may be merchants wealthy enough to rival Nobles, or poor enough to be indistinguishable from Peasants. However, most Freemen are visibly part of a growing middle class within the Kingdom. Human Freemen typically have a higher social status than many non-humans who share their position, but Valken'vi, Guthrie, and Gnomes also share a great deal of respect within the Kingdom. The north, west, and south regions of the country tend to be more socially accepting of non-humans, but technically, all Citizen Freemen have the same rights and protections. The King's Law, by order of Queen Jahanna Silverthorne I, includes Humans, Southern Tribesfolk, Valken'vi, Gnomes, and Guthrie as Citizens, provided they serve in a Guild or House, or if they bend the knee and swear allegiance to the Kingdom of Silverthorne. Peasantry Peasants, while not slaves, are people who serve a land-owning Noble or Gentlefolk with a life oath. These people, who make up 90% of the population, are granted far fewer rights than Freemen. They cannot travel freely, or choose exactly how they make their living. They, or their ancestors, entered into a contract, called an Indenture, with their land-owner. The details of this contract vary widely, but most Indentures generally accomplish the same goals across the Kingdom. Peasants are protected, given a plot of land and a home, and granted access to resources that belong to the land-owner. In exchange, the Peasants give their labor for their Lord, a guaranteed percentage of their production, and maintain the land and infrastructure as their "rent" payment. Peasants are not permitted to abandon their land, since it's considered their charge, as they swore to maintain it. However, most land-owners allow their Peasants to buy-out their Indenture. This is generally done for a fee, which roughly splits the difference between how much value the Peasant took from their land VS. how much that Peasant took for them-self. This value will also vary, depending on the value of the land-owner's property and that Peasant's productivity. While not considered a lot of money by merchant standards, Peasant communities can find themselves struggling to pool money for years, slowly, saving up enough to buy-out a small number of these Indentures and send occasionally gifted neighbors to the Guilds or to learn Trades as a new Freemen. A very common detail among these Oaths of Indenture includes Peasant parents swearing new children of the into the same oath. Sometimes it is only the first-born child sworn into the Indenture, sometimes the whole family. The specifics will vary wildly from land-owner to land-owner and family to family. The life of a Peasant is very quaint and often seen as trivial, but they are rarely abused by their land-owners. Peasants are a valuable investment by land-owners, who are honor-bound to care for their vassals. Coupled with this, the life-long stability afforded by their Oath of Indenture, and their utter lack of worldly knowledge, Peasants rarely see themselves as oppressed or waste effort trying to get away from their generational family farms. Non-Citizens lol